


Secrets Within

by Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: All Magic Comes With a Price, F/M, Spells & Enchantments
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-03-05 20:10:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13395348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities/pseuds/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities
Summary: Caitlin, a witch who comes from a family of deep magic, must navigate her way through the world when the final piece of her family leaves her. With the help of vampires, Barry and Cisco, can she manage to learn the magic required as the clock works against her? Snowbarry.





	1. Majestic Creatures

Caitlin had been a witch her whole life. Majestic creatures, her grandmother had called them. Everything she knew, Caitlin had learned from Grandma Snow. She had started with the simple spells, warding off wolves, hunters, and ghost; vampires weren't enemies of witches, but they never crossed paths with one another. Witches guarded the spiritual world during the day; vampires took the reigns at night. They worked in solidarity with one another, but never actually needed to meet each other to get the job done. It was simpler that way, Grandma Snow always said.

Caitlin had been raised by her grandmother ever since she was four and her parents had disappeared. She didn't remember much about them, just her mother's soft voice, and her dad's laughter that seemed to travel all the way from his belly to the crown of his head. To say she missed them would be an exaggeration; she simply didn't remember them, they had left her behind that long ago. No, she had her grandmother and that was all she needed to get by in the world. Her grandmother, and her magic.

Speaking of magic, Caitlin was currently in the process of reading her grandmother's aura. It was the first time she was doing it without having her hand held the whole time. She was on her own with it and, eyebrows pinching together, she was struggling to see exactly which colors circulated around her grams.

"Grams, I'm sensing…yellow," Caitlin murmured, eyes closed. Her grandmother made a hum of approval.

"Good, what else, little one?" Grandma Snow asked, and Caitlin concentrated hard.

"Yellow, calming energy," she whispered. "You're calm, and gentle."

Grandma Snow clapped her hands together softly, and Caitlin opened her eyes in time to see the calming energy dissipate.

"Very good, little one," Grandma Snow murmured, and Caitlin smiled, flushed with pleasure. As far as magic went, it wasn't strenuous, not really. However, it was enough to leave Caitlin tired, something her grandmother picked up on.

"I think that's enough for today, little one," she said, and Caitlin nodded her head, stretching her arms above her. She stood up from the floor, looking at her grandma.

"Grams, are you feeling alright?" Caitlin asked quietly, knowing that the illness was coursing its way through her bloodstream. Her grandmother had fallen ill a few months ago, an illness that magic couldn't fix. It was only a matter of time before she, too, left her. And Caitlin would truly be on her own then. It was a daunting thought for any seventeen-year-old. Her grandmother waved her off.

"Don't you worry about me, my little one," her grandmother said as she too, stood up. Caitlin held out her hand, allowing her grandmother to help hoist herself up from the floor with her help. Once they were both standing again, Caitlin looked around the room for a moment, making sure every book was in its proper place.

"C'mon, Grams, I'll make you some tea," Caitlin murmured. Her grandmother nodded and followed her into the kitchen. After the kettle was going, Caitlin went about getting her stuff prepared for the day. She had already graduated high school the week before, and planned on spending her summer before college utilizing and learning her powers. She knew she needed to learn as much as possible before she left for school in the fall, something she felt utterly guilty about. Her and her grandmother had fought about her going to school.

"You know, Grams," Caitlin said as she poured her a cup. "I can always postpone another year. Truly make sure you're going to be okay on your own."

Her grandmother sighed as a frown settled into her features. "Not this again, little one. I told you: I'm going to be just fine while you're at school. Do you think your parents would want you to postpone your studies because of me?"

"Thanks to them, I'll never know what they would've have wanted," Caitlin snapped, then sighed, placing her hand over her grandmother's hand gently.

"I'm sorry, Grams," she murmured, and her grandmother squeezed her hand gently.

"They loved you, little one," she reminded her, and Caitlin nodded her head.

"I know that, I do. It's just…if they loved me, why did they leave me?" Caitlin whispered, ducking her head down.

"They did what they had to," her grandmother murmured. That was the same answer Caitlin always received whenever she asked about her parents. Still, she didn't know why they felt like they needed to leave and, every time she asked, her grandmother always said she was too young to understand; that one day, it'd make sense. That day wasn't today.

Her grandmother patted her clumsily on the hand, and stood up, walking to the book shelf in their kitchen. She ran her fingers along the spines of the old, worn out books on the shelf, stopping when she reached the one she needed. With an oof, her grandmother tugged out a large, veiny looking book, and walked back to the table, setting it down with a soft thump. Caitlin stared at it.

"Grams, this is your spell book," she whispered, wondering what she was doing with it.

"Yes, little one, and now it's yours'," her grandmother replied, and Caitlin blinked. She accepted the book when her grandmother handed it to her, turning each of the fragile pages with care. Some spells were simple, others were not; some clear as day, others faded into almost nothingness. She looked at her grandmother.

"Are you sure?" Caitlin whispered, studying the old pages. Her grandmother was looking at her with love.

"Yes, Caitlin, it's time to pass you the magic," she murmured, and Caitlin knew what she wasn't saying. Time to pass her all the magic. Her heart beat fast as she searched her grandmother's face. It looked as old and weary as it always did, but there was a hint of underlining pride behind her crinkly eyes. Caitlin felt safe as she nodded her head.

"Alright, Grams," she murmured. There wasn't much more to say, something that Caitlin would regret. By time dusk would fall that evening, her grandmother would be gone, leaving Caitlin to navigate a world where creatures that belonged in children's story books existed.

Author's note: When you are home, you write. Prologue. Barry will be introduced when the story really gets going. I know I have a lot of stories going on at once. All I can say is at least I update regularly and finish the ones I start eventually. Hope you enjoy. XOXO


	2. Chapter 2

Five Years Later

XXXX

Caitlin navigated her way through the busy streets of Central City, trying not to bump into passerby which would result in a resounding thwack if her bag hit them. She kept her head down as her feet propelled her forward.

"Sorry, sorry," she mumbled, weaving her way through crowds at a time. At long last, she reached the end of the city, where the woods rested.

Perfect.

She travelled further into the woods, getting buried deep within the cluster of trees, hidden away from prying eyes. Just what she needed. She kept one hand tightly against the stab wound on her shoulder blade, imprisoning the blood so no more could leak out. She couldn't believe she had been so careless as to let a witch hunter stab her. A boy at that. Barely fourteen, and unsure of what to do with tool he was holding. She had had her back turned when he attacked, (mistake number one), so she chalked it up as fair game.

Once she reached the innermost part of the woods, she came across a treehouse that she knew like she knew the back of her hand. She should. Her and Grams had built it when she was twelve. Taking one final look around, Caitlin began to climb up the ladder leading to the tree house, wincing as she put strain on her injured shoulder. Luckily for her, she was a fast climber, having learned the tricks of the trade when she was eighteen and witch hunters started going after her. Getting into the treehouse was child's play, and soon enough, she was inside, locking the door securely by easy, but ancient, magic.

Taking her jacket off with care, Caitlin discarded it to the side and looked at the stab wound. Barely scratched the surface; wouldn't even leave a scar. Perfect. She got the bowel that held water, along with her healing crystal, and sat down in the middle of the treehouse. She dipped her crystal into the water, rubbing at the wound softly. Face scrunching up in discomfort, Caitlin waited for the tingling in her arm to recede. When it did, she worked about cleaning out the wound. Soon enough, she had accomplished her task of healing it. She grabbed her wand and siphoned off the rest of the dried blood, smiling when the skin returned to normal.

After cleaning up, she pulled out her spell book, flipping gently through the pages until she found what she needed. A spell to repel minor curses. She knew it wouldn't work against the big guys, nothing would work against them except ancient magic, and sheer dumb luck, but still; something to fight off the children in the war was better than nothing. And that's what they were in: a war. Caitlin studied the spell, learning the ins and outs of it as she practiced it with her wand. She rarely used her wand, not since having mastered wordless spells. But sometimes, in the thick of war, wordless spells were hard to utilize, and a wand was the best next option. Still, to play it safe, she learned both the physical incantation, and the nonverbal.

When she was sufficiently pleased that she had the gist of the spell, she closed her book softly, tucking it back into her bag. Unconsciously, she touched the rose quartz pendant around her neck. It had been her grandmother's, something the older woman promised Caitlin could have when she passed. True to her word, the night Caitlin got back to the house five years ago, the pendant was resting on her grandmother's nightstand, with her grandmother laying peacefully next to it. She could've almost been sleeping. Caitlin knew better. Pushing down the memories, Caitlin sighed.

"Miss, you, Grams," she murmured, listing as the wind carried away the sentence out into the earth. She knew her grandmother like the back of her hand, just like she knew what she would say.

"Little one, I'm right there with you. Never forget that," the wind whispered back to her, and for a moment, Caitlin smiled softly. Her grandmother was there with her. She carried her with her everywhere she went.

Caitlin eventually packed away her things, getting ready to retire for the night, when a sharp knock stopped her. Who on earth would be here? Who would even know to be here? Squaring her shoulders, she picked up her wand, and hesitantly edged towards the door. The good thing about using ancient magic to secure yourself, it was ridiculously hard to break. She was safe. Gripping her wand, she peeked out of the small peephole she had carved into the door, but saw nothing. She wasn't stupid; just because she couldn't see anything, didn't mean there wasn't anything or anyone there. Taking a deep breath, she blasted a hole through the door, using all the strength she could muster.

"Oh my god, what are you, insane?" A voice shouted, and Caitlin blinked as she looked around. A tall, gangly, brunette-haired boy was ducking as the door swung wildly off its hinges. Caitlin grabbed him by the lapels of his coat, taking full advantage of his shock. She shoved him against the wall of the treehouse, elbow pressed into his throat, wand pointed at his face.

"Who are you?" Caitlin hissed.

"Uh, can we lower the wand, please?" The guys asked, but Caitlin shook her head, pressing her elbow even further into his jugular.

"Not until you tell me who you are and why I shouldn't blast you," she growled. Her grams had always taught her to never trust anyone, even if she knew them. The guy sighed.

"Name's Barry. Barry Allen. I'm here because Agatha Snow sent me here," he muttered, and Caitlin felt her elbow slid a fraction of an inch off his throat.

"How do you know Agatha?" Caitlin demanded, trying and failing to make the connection between this lanky guy and her grandmother.

"She's your grandmother, you call her grams. She died of an ancient illness, there is no cure to it," Barry replied. Ever so slowly, and not lowering her wand, she took the pressure off his jugular, and he massaged his throat.

"Quite the elbow there, Caitlin," Barry said conversationally, and her eyes flashed.

"How do you know my name?" Caitlin whispered harshly, trying to get her brain to catch up to the fact that this guy knew much about her; too much.

"Again, I know Agatha. Or, did. Sorry to hear she died," Barry murmured apologetically.

"That was five years ago, why are you just finding me now?" Caitlin demanded.

"You're a very hard person to track down. Trust me, I've been looking for the past five years. Thought the only logical answer was for you to move away from the place that cost you the most pain. Typical of you to stay buried in the thick of it," he commented.

"What the hell do you know about my pain?" Caitlin hissed, raising her wand higher. Barry held his hands up.

"Easy with the wand, Harry Potter, I'm just here to talk," he soothed, and Caitlin snorted. The comparison was not lost on her, but she had more pressing issues at hand. Like, how this guy knew her grandmother.

"When did you meet my grandmother? I lived with her my whole life, I'd have seen you," she pointed out.

"Not if I'm not looking to be found, much like yourself," Barry shrugged. That caused Caitlin to pause and think.

"The only time I wasn't around her was at night," Caitlin said slowly, thinking hard.

"Almost there," Barry whispered encouragingly.

"You're a vampire?" Caitlin asked in surprise, lowering the wand entirely. Vampires had no chance against witches. They maybe worked in partnership, but a witch's magic could outsmart a vampire, any day.

Barry sighed in relief.

"Thank you," he murmured, massaging his throat once more.

"And yes, I'm a vampire. Just like you're a witch," Barry stated, and Caitlin snorted again.

"What gave it away?" Caitlin deadpanned, walking a few feet backwards, and sitting down on the cot she had placed in the treehouse.

"What do you want? Now that you've demolished my home," Caitlin muttered.

"You demolished your home, sunshine. I politely knocked, and would've introduced myself had you given me the opportunity," Barry said.

"I couldn't see you in my peephole," Caitlin snapped defensively. Barry shrugged.

"I sometimes fade in the sun," he commented.

"I thought vampires couldn't be in the sun at all?" Caitlin asked in surprise.

"Old folklore," Barry shrugged.

She pursed her lips, but didn't say anything; Barry took that as his invitation to continue.

"Wanted to check on you after the witch hunter stabbed you," he said.

"You're following me?" Caitlin demanded angrily, and Barry quickly shook his head.

"I'm not following you; my dad is," he clarified.

"Because that makes it alright," Caitlin rolled her eyes, and he chuckled.

"You're sarcastic, just like Agatha said you'd be," he said, and Caitlin inhaled. Thinking about her grandmother and talking about her grandmother were two very different things. Not wishing to get stuck in a painful rut, she quickly changed the topic.

"And, your father is following me because…" she trailed off, hoping he'd fill in some of the blanks.

"Because of the war the witches have found themselves in," Barry supplied, leaning against the treehouse wall.

"Vampires know about the war?" Caitlin asked, and Barry was quick to shake his head.

"Not all of us. Just the ones who pay attention," he clarified. That only raised a hundred more questions for Caitlin.

"And your family paid attention?" Caitlin prompted, and Barry smiled.

"Agatha, and my grandfather, were best friends when they were younger," Barry started.

"That's impossible; Grams always said witches and vampires were better off not working together," Caitlin interrupted, and Barry tsked.

"Don't you want to know why she said that?" Barry implored, and Caitlin blinked. Not once, out of all the time they spent together, did Caitlin think to ask. She looked at Barry.

"Enlighten me, then," she stated.

"Agatha, and Henry Sr., my grandfather, were best friends. He knew she was a witch and she knew he was a vampire. They had hunted some of the foulest creatures to date," Barry said, and, despite her best intentions, she found herself listening to his story with rapt attention.

"Then why did I neve meet him?" Caitlin challenged, and Barry's face fell.

"Grandfather Henry was killed one day, by a witch hunter," he muttered, and suddenly, the vampire before her seemed a bit more human.

'I'm sorry," Caitlin murmured, and she was. She knew what it was like to lose someone you loved.

"Yeah, well, he died a hero. The witch hunter was aiming for Agatha, and he got in the way. Then, sick with rage, Agatha did her special magic, and that was where the hunter met his sticky end. It was too late to save my grandfather, though," Barry said.

"So, what, Grams was so overcome with guilt about your grandfather's death that she said we were better off not mixing with vampires?" Caitlin asked skeptically.

"Bingo," Barry replied.

"Then why are you here?" Caitlin asked.

"Consider me…like your protector," Barry smiled, but Caitlin was quickly shaking her head, and standing up.

"Uh, no," she said bluntly. "I've been on my own for the past five years; I don't need anyone's protection. Especially a pale guy who can't even materialize completely in the sun."

"I'm working on that," Barry said idly.

Caitlin walked passed him, and to the place where the door should've been.

"Feel free to leave," she commented, jerking her head to the hole that was blasted into the wall. She didn't want to even begin to fathom the kind of magic it would take to fix that.

Barry didn't budge.

"Look, Cait, may I call you Cait?" Barry asked.

"No."

"Okay, Cait, look," Barry pressed on and she sighed, folding her arms across her chest.

"We need each other, like Agatha and Henry needed each other," he said, and she laughed incredulously.

"Need each other? I don't need anyone," she snapped, and it was his turn to sigh.

"Yes, you do," he replied softly. "You may not realize that right now, but you will one day. And I'll wait until that day comes."

Turning on his foot, he walked out of the treehouse, and jumped down to the ground, striding away from her. Jaw hanging open, she shook her head to clear itself.

"I thought vampires could fly," she called, and he just threw a wave over his shoulder, leaving her to her annoyance in peace.

Author's note: Hope you like it XOXO


	3. Chapter 3

It had barely been a week before Barry Allen came knocking on her treehouse door. After gathering all the energy she had been able to muster, she was able to get the door back intact, so, he had something to knock on. Sighing, she closed her spell book gently, pushing it back into her bag, before making her way to the door. It was locked with ancient magic once more. Caitlin looked through the peephole, but didn't see anyone, yet again. Something he must've realized, because he announced his presence only a moment later.

"It's Barry Allen," Barry called through. Sighing, she unlocked the door with her wand, undoing the spells that she had set into place. Once the magic had been erased, she eased the door open, staring at him.

"Twice in two weeks. To what do I owe this unfortunate set of circumstances?" Caitlin asked, and Barry grinned.

"May I come in?" Barry asked, and Caitlin frowned.

"I thought vampires didn't have to invite themselves in?" Caitlin checked, and Barry chuckled.

"We don't," he agreed. "It's just better manners."

She crooked an eyebrow, but moved to the side to grant him access all the same. Once he was inside, she shut the door, and locked it with her wand.

"Yeah, well, storybooks don't quite get vampires right," she muttered, and, again, he let out a laugh.

"You'd be surprised by just how much those books get wrong," he stated.

"Like, the fact that you don't sparkle in the sun," Caitlin said, and he scrunched up his nose.

"You've been reading Twilight, I see," he said in displeasure, and Caitlin was affronted.

"Only, like, once," she mumbled, cheeks tinting red. Barry chuckled.

"Out of all the books to get us wrong, that must be the one that does us the least justice," he said.

"So, you're not a one-hundred-year-old trapped inside a seventeen-year-old body?" Caitlin checked, and he snorted.

"Hardly. I'm twenty-two," he replied indignantly. "Same as you."

Caitlin was about to ask just how he knew that, but then remembered he knew about her from her Grams, and knew that she died five years ago; it was only fitting that he knew her age, too. Nodding her head, she didn't per sue the topic.

"Well, Mr. I-Don't-Have-To-Be-Invited-In, what can I do for you?" Caitlin asked, hoping to get this meeting over and done with. She had things to do; like, studying her spell book. Barry tilted his head towards her bag.

"Agatha's spell book in there?" Barry asked, and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"Of course, you would know it's in there," she muttered, and he smirked.

"My father has been watching you for the past five years," he reminded her.

"If he has, like you say, why did it take you five years to find me?" Caitlin challenged, and Barry shrugged.

"He didn't tell me where you were," he said, and Caitlin raised an eyebrow.

"He wanted me to find you on my own," Barry clarified, and Caitlin nodded an eyebrow. She didn't understand what that meant, but didn't have the energy to ask, either. She was simply too busy. She made her way to her bag, and pulled out the spell book, before sitting down on her cot. Barry walked to the opposite wall, and leaned against it, arms folding across his chest.

"Whatcha working on?" Barry asked conversationally.

"A spell to repel minor curses by unskilled witch hunters," she commented vaguely. While having learned the gist of it, there was still room for improvement.

"Aren't they all, well, skilled?" Barry asked in confusion, and Caitlin tutted, placing her finger on her spot on the page, and looking up.

"The kids aren't," she said, and he frowned. Sighing, she continued.

"They're like a newborn vampire," she explained. "Not used to their powers, so painfully sloppy with them."

"Not all newborn vampires are painfully sloppy with their powers, thank you very much," he stated, but Caitlin merely crooked an eyebrow at him, and he sighed.

"Alright, they're painfully sloppy," he admitted sheepishly, and she smiled. Victory, thy name is Caitlin.

He fell silent then, and she focused back on the spell. She laced her fingers together, concentrating hard. Soon, a little bubble of light appeared in her hands, and, she mumbled a few words, and it grew bigger.

"Cool," Barry whispered in fascination, but she paid no mind to him, too busy concentrating on her task at hand. The light steadily grew bigger until it was a ball resting in her hands. She felt herself grow tired, something Barry seemed to notice.

"Hey, Cait, are you alright?" Barry asked in concern, but she didn't answer. She just focused all her energy onto the light. She felt her heart beating fast; tremors running through her arms. Still, she didn't stop. She only stopped when she was forced to. Gasping, the light exploded in her hands, and she took a steadying breath. Barry made his way over to the cot, and sat down.

"Caitlin, what just happened?" Barry asked, and she sighed, not seeing any way around this.

"Sometimes, I push myself too hard when it comes to magic, and it fights back," she muttered.

"Yeah, because that seems healthy," he muttered, and she shrugged a shoulder.

"I do what I have to," she murmured, shaking out her hands. He stood up, and walked to his own bag that he brought in, grabbing a bottle of water, and walking back to her. Uncapping it, he handed it to her.

"Drink some, please," he said, and Caitlin stared suspiciously at it, and he sighed.

"It's not poisoned," he murmured. Staring at it for a moment longer, Caitlin took it shakily out of his hands, and took a sip.

"How long have you been pushing yourself, Cait?" Barry asked softly. She wished he wouldn't be as gentle as he was being; she didn't need to be coddled. She shrugged a shoulder.

"For a while, but it's nothing to concern yourself with," she mumbled, taking another drink. He shook his head, and tsked.

"It's my job to make sure you're safe. That won't happen if you're pushing yourself," he said pointedly, and she narrowed her eyes.

"I've told you: I don't need a protector," she stated bluntly, hand gripping her wand.

"Alright, Harry Potter, just, take it easy, yeah?" Barry asked, and she rolled her eyes.

"I really hope that's not a nickname you've come up for me," she sighed, letting her wand hang loosely in her fingers. He chuckled.

"Why, don't you like it?" Barry asked.

"Would you like it if I called you Edward Cullen?" Caitlin demanded, and his nose scrunched up in displeasure for the second time.

"Point made," he muttered, and she smiled a bit.

They fell silent then, with her taking periodic sips out of the water. He seemed satisfied by that. When the bottle was empty, she got up on shaky legs and threw it away, before making her way back to the cot and sitting down.

"Now what?" Caitlin asked, and he shrugged a shoulder.

"Well, I don't think you should do anymore magic just yet," he commented, and she rolled her eyes.

"Magic is all I do," she insisted, and he sighed.

"Even when you're tiring yourself out?" Barry challenged, and it was her turn to sigh.

"That doesn't happen often," she said defensively, and he had the decency to not push. Good, he should. He didn't know her.

She eased the spell book on her lap, flipping through the old, crinkly pages with care. She stopped on a spell she had been attempting to learn for quite some time. Barry looked at the page with interest.

"An element spell?" Barry asked, and she nodded her head.

"Trying to learn how to summon the four elements," she murmured off handedly.

"Those are Earth, Wind, Fire, and Rain, correct?" Barry asked, and she nodded once.

"You'd be correct, vampire guy," she said, concentrating on the spell. He chuckled before sobering up.

"Wouldn't that spell really tire you out?" Barry asked in concern, and she sighed.

"Don't worry about that," she muttered. It was his turn to sigh.

"I told you: it's my job to make sure you're safe.

"And, I told you: I don't need a protector. I've told you that three times now," she reminded him.

"Third times the charm," he mused, and she snorted, eyes still firmly on the page before her.

"What can you do with an element spell?" Barry asked a moment later, and she thought about it.

"Imagine having all four elements on your side during a fight with a skilled witch hunter. They wouldn't stand a chance," she replied, and he chuckled.

"Diabolical, Caitlin. I like it," he said, bumping his shoulder with hers'. She gritted her teeth. Apparently, he thought they were friends or something.

"Just because our grandparents were best friends, doesn't mean we are, vampire guy," she reminded him absentmindedly and he chuckled.

"Everyone needs a best friend," he said lightly.

"Sure," she said distractedly. Sighing, she closed the book.

"I can't learn anything right now," she murmured.

"Because you're tired?" Barry asked softly, but she shook her head.

"Because you're determined to be my new best friend," she countered, and he chuckled again.

"I told you: I'm your protector," he commented cheerfully. She narrowed her eyes.

"And, I told you that I…you know what? Never mind, you're not going to listen to anything I say," she sighed.

"That's the spirit," he agreed.

She touched her rose quartz absentmindedly, wondering what her grandmother would do if she was here. The trees picked up in the wind outside.

"Follow your gut, little one. Like I told you," they whispered. Problem was, she didn't know what her gut was telling her. So far, everything Barry had said and done wasn't causing her reason for alarm, but she hadn't known him very long, either. Deciding to play it safe, she changed the subject.

"So, that's all I'm up to," she said, and stood up. She walked over to her box of crystals, and pulled out the Amethyst, rolling it over in her fingers. It was a calming crystal, something she wished to exude. When she felt the calming energy radiating around her, she turned her attention back to Barry.

"It feels far calmer than it did a moment ago," he murmured, and she held up her crystal.

"Amethyst, it'll do that to a person," she commented, and he smiled.

"That was Agatha's favorite crystal, wasn't it?" Barry asked her softly, and she pursed her lips. She didn't need him to remind her of that, thank you very much. She nodded her head.

"Yes," she replied stiffly. He frowned.

"Why does it bother you so much that I know things about your grandmother?" Barry asked, and she sighed.

"You shouldn't know anything about her," she whispered. "Vampires and witches don't mix; just protect their environments."

Barry stood up, and walked towards her slowly; she backed up a pace.

"Easy, Cait, I'm not going to hurt you," he soothed quietly, and she felt some of the fear dissipate. She stood still as he made his way towards her. Once he reached her, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Vampires and witches can be friends, though," he reminded her. "Our grandparents proved that."

"But, Grams didn't event tell me about you or your family," Caitlin whispered, staring passed him.

"Look at me, Cait," he urged softly. Sighing, she did so a moment later.

"Just because she didn't tell you, didn't mean she was trying to keep you in the dark. She had a very good reason for protecting you," he murmured, and Caitlin closed her eyes. It was foolish; you should never have your eyes closed against a potential attack of any kind. However, she had the strangest suspicion that Barry Allen would never attack her; that he meant it when he claimed he wanted to be her protector.

Sighing, she chose her words gently and with care.

"I feel like I'm starting to just now learn who she truly was," she said softly, wishing her heart wasn't bleeding at the thought of that.

"We can find out about her together, if you'll let me in," he murmured, and she bit her lip, thinking anxiously about his offer. He was anything if not patient, and just let her take her time with deciding. Finally, she nodded her head.

"Alright," she said, and he grinned.

"To the start of a healthy friendship, Caitlin Snow," he said confidently, and she nodded her head.

To the start of something, indeed.

Author's note: Enjoy. XOXO


	4. Chapter 4

"I have to go into town for a few things," Caitlin said sometime later that day, and Barry looked up with interest.

"What things?" Barry asked, and she massaged her temples; she felt the beginning of a headache coming on.

"I've got two refill my apothecary section. Herbs and oils; Crystals and roots. Things like that," she replied, swinging her back onto her shoulder.

"Are there even any stores that sell those things in Central City?" Barry asked as she made her way to the ladder and began climbing down, him quickly following. When she dropped to her feet on the soil a moment later, she dusted her hands off.

"And, you call yourself a vampire?" Caitlin asked incredulously. "Were you banned from the magical world as a kid, or something?"

"Nope," Barry replied, popping the 'p'. "I just didn't find much reason to stray into the magical realm growing up. I hadn't found my witch to protect, yet."

"Is that something all vampires aspire to do? Protect a witch?" Caitlin mumbled as she pushed her way through the thick tree branches crisscrossing across the path they were taking. She didn't have to do anything but push aside the willowy branches; her feet knew the direct path to her destination without her having to prompt them.

"Well, only for the ones who've got a strong vendetta against the witch hunters," Barry said casually, and Caitlin hummed, but didn't comment on that statement.

"So, which part of the city are we going into?" Barry asked conversationally, keeping up with her easily.

"I didn't say we're going into the city, did I? I said town," Caitlin replied. She could almost sense the way Barry's eyebrows pinched together in the middle; Grams had always told her she had the "Sight" when it came to observing people. She didn't even need to face them to read their expressions.

"Get that confused look off your face. Town is basically the edge of the woods, where other witches live," she added a moment later.

"How'd you know I was confused?" Barry asked, and Caitlin chuckled.

"Doesn't take magic to be able to read you, Allen," she remarked. He huffed, but fell silent, and she gave an inward grin. Nothing more was said as they walked through the woods.

XXXX

When Caitlin reached the house she was after, she paused, and looked at Barry.

"It's going to take me about an hour in there. Why don't you stand guard or something, since it's your job to "protect" me?" Caitlin asked, and he sighed at her sarcasm.

"I'll go inside with you, it'd be easier to "protect" you in there," he matched her level of sarcasm, voice dripping heavily. She rolled her eyes, debating her options.

"Just, don't get in my way. Or, Dr. Sigh's," she added as an afterthought.

"Who's Dr. Sigh?" Barry asked.

"You'll see," Caitlin murmured, before turning and walking up the stairs that led to the house, with Barry following behind her. She got to the door, and knocked three times, before lifting her long-sleeve shirt and showing her wrist tattoo of three stars and a crescent moon. The door opened a moment later.

"I didn't know you had that," Barry murmured.

"Tricks of the trade," she replied off handedly, and he dropped it as an elderly woman peeked her head out of the slot the door had made. Caitlin smiled.

"Caitlin, dear, how good to see you," she said in a whispery voice.

"You, too, Dr. Sigh," Caitlin said quietly, and looked between her and Barry.

"This is Barry. He's…," she trailed off, unsure of how to describe him.

"He's your protector, child," Dr. Sigh said in that same whispery voice, and Caitlin nodded her head.

"You Saw him, didn't you?" Caitlin asked, and Dr. Sigh smiled, before opening the door all the way.

"Come inside, both of you, away from the cold," she instructed, and Caitlin made her way in, with Barry ducking in after her. Once they were inside her warm house, Caitlin looked around, taking inventory of all the things she'd need to buy.

"You're after the Four Elements crystals, child," Dr. Sigh said, and Caitlin bit her lip, before nodding her head.

"How much?" Caitlin asked softly, and Dr. Sigh made her way towards a cabinet to the left of her front room.

"One hundred and fifty; along with some advice," Dr. Sigh commented, and it Caitlin took out the money.

"I've got the money, not much for taking advice," she replied with a gentle laugh, one that Dr. Sigh matched.

"You were always Agatha's stubborn child," she said, and the two women shared a laugh, with Barry looking around but keeping an eye on them all the same.

Caitlin followed Dr. Sigh to the cabinet off to the side, and watched as the older woman stroked the mahogany doors. The locks clicked out of place, sliding back as easily as snakes slithering away.

"Cool," Barry murmured, and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"My protector apparently is fascinated by magic," she muttered.

"Imagine what you could teach him, child," the older woman replied, before pushing aside jars and bottles, reaching into the very depths of her cabinet. Eventually, she pulled out a little chest box, and sat it down on the top of the cabinet. Caitlin felt warm all over, all of sudden, and knew it had to do with the glowing light peeking out of the slit where the lid of the box and the actual box met.

"Do you hear that, child?" Dr. Sigh asked, and Caitlin listened, shutting out of every other sound, the way Grams had taught her.

"It's a whistling," she murmured.

"What's whistling?" Barry asked quietly, eyes on Caitlin.

"The crystals," Dr. Sigh murmured. "They're ready to go to their rightful owner."

"The magic can sense she's their rightful owner?" Barry asked incredulously.

"They're not the only things in the room with the Sight," Dr. Sigh said quietly, looking at Caitlin. Barry looked between the two women curiously, before understanding dawned on him.

"You have Sight, too?" Barry asked Caitlin, completely mesmerized. She nodded her head.

"The beginning of it, at least," she murmured, before clearing her throat.

"What's the advice?" Caitlin asked Dr. Sigh.

"I know what you want to do with these, child. Fight the Evil that threatens to eliminate our kind: The Hunters," Dr. Sigh said, and Caitlin nodded her head, encouraging her to continue.

"The Element crystals are no easy magic, by any means. It takes the powerful concentration of a skilled witch. I never even let Agatha near them," she said, and Caitlin looked at her in surprise.

"Then, why do I get them?" Caitlin asked curiously.

"Because, child, you'll do great things with them. Noble things. Nothing greedy or for self-gain," she commented wisely, and Caitlin smiled.

"Of course, I wouldn't," she replied sincerely.

"Don't lose these crystals," Dr. Sigh said, and Caitlin shook her head quickly.

"I won't," she promised with conviction. After staring at her for another moment, Dr. Sigh wrapped them up in four separate handkerchiefs, and placed them back in the chest box.

"You're also after roots and herbs," Dr. Sigh commented a moment later, and, after placing the chest box in her bag, Caitlin nodded her head.

"Yes," she confirmed. The older woman walked away, coming back a moment later with jars of herbs, and bottles of roots. She wrapped those as well, before passing them off to Caitlin.

After ringing her up, Caitlin made her way out of the shop, promising to come back and visit soon.

"If Dr. Sigh wouldn't let Agatha have the four crystals, why do you get them?" Barry asked, and Caitlin narrowed her eyes.

"No offense," he added quickly, holding his hands up in surrender, and Caitlin sighed.

"Because," she commented quietly. "The world of the witches' rest on my shoulders."

Author's note: Cisco will be introduced soon. XOXO


	5. Chapter 5

"I can't wait for you to meet Cisco," Barry said a few days later. They found themselves back in the treehouse, with Caitlin surrounded by her spell book and crystals.

"Meet who?" Caitlin mumbled distractedly. Her eyes were reading a spell thoroughly, making sure she understood the incantation completely before she tried to practice it.

"Cisco. He's another vampire. He's, like, my righthand man," Barry said, and that caused Caitlin to pause and look up at him.

"There's another vampire like you?" Caitlin asked exasperatedly, but it did nothing to dispel Barry's enthusiasm; if anything, it grew twice as large.

"Yep," Barry said, again with the accompanying popping of the "p". "He was supposed to be your other protector, but ended up protecting a wizard named Hartley, instead."

Caitlin made a noncommittal jerk of her head, before going back to her spell book.

"Hartley Rathaway? You might have heard of him," Barry added, and she sighed.

"Name sounds vaguely familiar, but I really couldn't say if I have ever met him or not," Caitlin muttered, tongue poking out between her teeth as she scribbled down notes into the margin on the page she was reading.

"Yeah, well, they should be here soon," Barry commented and that caused Caitlin to come to an abrupt halt and look up at him.

"You told another vampire and his wizard boy where I live?" Caitlin demanded angrily. To her surprise, she saw Barry chuckling.

"Knew that'd get your attention, Cait," he teased, and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"Jerk," she muttered, and Barry laughed harder.

"It worked though. Got you to stop being so absorbed in that spell book. I swear, your nose has been buried inside of it most of the time since I've met you," he stated, and Caitlin sighed.

"Yeah, well, when the weight of the vampires is on your shoulders, and you're doing whatever you can to learn how to save them all, then come talk to me, Allen," Caitlin mumbled, thumbing through the pages. So far, she had found three spells that the Element crystals could be utilized in; now it was just time to narrow them down to one. Which one, was the pressing question. Sighing, she marked her page carefully, before shutting the fragile book, and slipped it back inside her bag.

"Done trying to learn every spell in there for one day?" Barry raised an eyebrow, and she huffed out a laugh.

"Again, talk to me when the fate of your kind is in your hands. You might be singing a different tune at that point," she commented, and stretched her arms above her head, before wrapping her crystals up in the cloths Dr. Sigh had given her, and placed them back into her crystal box, before it, too, went into her bag.

"Wouldn't it be safer if the crystals were left in the treehouse?" Barry questioned, and Caitlin snorted.

"Where any hunter could come in and steal them? Fat chance," she replied.

"That's why you have enchantments and protections guarding your treehouse, right?" Barry prompted, and Caitlin sighed.

"A skilled hunter could work their way passed the enchantments. If they got their hands on these crystals, witches should pretty much say bye to our world," she murmured. She didn't know just how much transitioning into a full adult witch would require of her; and, take out of her. However, she accepted her responsibility with pride. Her coven was relying on her.

"So, shall we go meet this Cisco?" Caitlin asked a moment later, and Barry nodded his head.

"He's meeting us in the woods. Figured you wouldn't want to go all the way into the city," he murmured, and she smiled, touched at his ability to understand what would make her comfortable and what wouldn't.

"Thanks, Barry," she replied gratefully. She slipped her sweater on over her dress, kicked her shoes off, and tied her hair up into a messy ponytail.

"Let's go," she grinned, and they climbed out of her treehouse, with her placing her bag down, before placing the usual enchantments around it. She picked her bag back up, and they began to walk. She enjoyed the way the earth kissed her feet, soil slipping and sliding between her toes. It was her home; it grounded her.

As they walked, Caitlin followed the path the moon illuminated for them. She knew the woods like she knew the back of her hand,

"Which part is your friend meeting us in?" Caitlin asked.

"Towards the East, front of the woods," Barry replied, and Caitlin let her feet guide her way towards the East of the woods, where it started to meet the hustle and bustle of the city life.

"Do you not worry about getting lost in these woods whenever you walk by yourself?" Barry asked worriedly, and Caitlin shook her head.

"No," she said gently. "These woods are my home; they've never done me wrong before. And, I've never mistreated them either."

"The way you speak about them, it's like they're alive," Barry said curiously, and Caitlin smiled over her shoulder.

"They're as alive as you and I are. They breathe the same air that we do," she murmured, and he looked around at the trees in wonderment.

"That's sort of poetic," he commented quietly, and she sighed happily.

"Nature is a poem," she murmured. They didn't say anything else, not until Barry placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, locking her in place. She looked at him curiously.

"Cisco is right there," he nodded his head towards the left of her, and she looked around. She spotted a guy with shoulder-length, black hair, smiling lazily at them.

"Barry," Cisco called, and he made his way towards them. He looked at Caitlin, then at the wrist tattoo that was visible from where she had pushed the sleeves of her sweater up to her elbows.

"You're a sister of the moon?" Cisco asked curiously.

"You know about us?" Caitlin asked, intrigued.

"What's a sister of the moon?" Barry interrupted, staring at Caitlin quizzically.

"We work in one with the cycles of the moon," she murmured. "Grandma Snow founded the coven when she was twenty-five."

"So, after my grandfather died, which is why I didn't know about that," Barry said, and Caitlin nodded her head.

"It's my coven, now," she said quietly, heart aching at the thought of her grams not being there with her anymore. Barry must've seen the pain that flashed across her face momentarily, because he was squeezing her shoulder.

"She'd be proud of you, Cait," he said softly, and she swallowed, throat tight.

"I know," she said a moment later, before looking at Cisco curiously.

"You knew Agatha, too?" Caitlin asked, but he shook his head.

"Knew of her, never met her personally. I just know what an impact she made to your world, and that witches and vampires alike, took a serious hit when she died five years ago. I'm sorry about that," he added quietly, and she nodded her head.

"Thank you," Caitlin said softly.

"Where's Hartley?" Barry asked, and Caitlin realized that was who was missing.

"Hartley is visiting family tonight. I'm about to go get him, I just wanted to meet Caitlin," Cisco replied, dipping his head towards her. She smiled.

"Well, you've met me," she said. "Shouldn't you go back to your wizard?"

"On my way now," he replied, turning on his feet. He paused, and looked over his shoulder.

"Oh, and Caitlin?" Cisco asked, and she looked at him.

"Make sure the enchantments guarding your home are extended to my kind. Barry is protected by default because he's your protector, but Hartley and I will need to be safe from the hunters, too," he said matter of fact, before striding away from them.

"He'll be spending time in my home?" Caitlin demanded, staring at Barry. He rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"Uh, yeah, surprise. We kind of designated your treehouse as our safe place," he replied. Caitlin sighed.

"You know, I liked it a lot more when I didn't have a protector," she mumbled. Barry just grinned.

Author's note: Just a quick one to introduce Cisco. XO


	6. Chapter 6

A few weeks passed, and Caitlin soon found herself falling into a routine. Barry would come over every day, sometimes staying for hours on end, while she worked on perfecting her magic. If she needed to go into the city for whatever reason, he would go with her, making sure no one hassled her. In other words, he made sure she didn't run into any witch hunters. Despite her earlier protests, she was somewhat pleased to have him around. It was nice not having to fend off witch hunters by herself. Still, she would never tell him that she was starting to grow accustomed to him. It was fun to give him a hard time.

"What's on the agenda for today?" Caitlin asked one morning after he showed up. She was used to him fading in the sun by now, so every time she didn't see someone outside of her treehouse door, she naturally assumed it was him. Barry was still polite enough to let her know that it was him, though; something she was grateful for. She didn't want to risk the chance that she'd be wrong and accidentally open her home to a hunter. That was the last thing she needed.

"Well," Barry began carefully, and Caitlin looked up at his tone curiously. "I thought Hartley and Cisco could stop by today."

Caitlin bit her lip. "Will it just be the two of them?"

"Just the two of them, I promise," Barry assured quickly, and Caitlin thought about it. She had seen Cisco from time to time, it was true. Thanks to Barry's gentle encouragement to not spend all her time focused on her magic, he had convinced her to get out of her home from time to time. With that, she explored the woods and surrounding areas, sometimes coming across Cisco.

"Cait?" Barry's gentle voice brought her musings to a stop, and she looked up, releasing her bottom lip from between her teeth. She nodded her head a moment later.

"If it's just them," she murmured, and Barry smiled.

"I promise, it'll just be the two of them," he replied. Caitlin matched his smile, and went back to looking over her spell book. She had decided to not pull out the crystals today, needing a break from them. So, she was just looking at the two spells she had narrowed it down to, trying to decide to between the two of them. In next to no time, there was a knock at her door, and she touched her wand.

"Easy," Barry soothed. "It should just be Hartley and Cisco."

She nodded her head, but stood up nonetheless, making her way to her door. Peeking through the peephole, she spotted Cisco. At least, he didn't seem to have trouble materializing in the sun. Smirking inwardly at the thought, she opened her door.

"Hello," she said, and Cisco sent her a smile.

"Hey, Caitlin," he replied, before looking at the brunette guy next to him. "This is Hartley Rathaway."

Caitlin nodded her head at him. "Nice to meet you Hartley."

"You, too, Caitlin," Hartley replied, dipping his head in her direction. "Cisco tells me you're a sister of the moon?"

Caitlin rolled her eyes. "I hope you haven't been talking about me, Cisco."

"Nothing that isn't true," Cisco said, and the two friends shared a smile.

"Well, come in," Caitlin urged, holding the door open wider for them. After they were inside, Caitlin shut her door, placing the usual enchantments around her home. When she was through, she glanced at Hartley, and Cisco, and spotted them looking around her home.

"Cozy place you've got here, Cait," Cisco said, and she smiled.

"It's home," she agreed. Barry walked over to them.

"I like it better than my home," he commented, and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"With the amount of time you spend here, I almost forgot you had another home," she remarked, and Barry chuckled as he bumped his shoulder with hers'.

"What are the two of you working on?" Hartley asked curiously, staring down at her spell book that was resting on her cot. Caitlin bit her lip, debating if she wanted to be honest with him. Then she reminded herself that Barry, and Cisco, would never let someone inside her home that they didn't trust. And, Hartley was Cisco's wizard, so that meant he trusted him inexplicably. Nodding her head, she made her way to her cot, and picked up the fragile book with great care.

"This is Agatha Snow's spell book. Or, was," Caitlin murmured, frowning slightly. Five years later, and it was still hard to talk about her grandmother in the past tense. She didn't think it'd ever get any easier. Barry squeezed her shoulder gently, as Hartley smiled.

"I was sorry to hear about your grandmother, Caitlin," he said earnestly, and she dipped her head in his direction appreciatively.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"She was one of the greatest witches of our time," he added, and Caitlin smiled softly.

"That she was," she agreed. She flipped through her spell book, sticking in little bookmarks on the two pages that housed the spells she wanted to study more thoroughly.

"What are the sisters of the moon doing to work against the hunters?" Hartley asked curiously, and Caitlin sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"We're trying to come up with a plan to counteract their tools against our kind, but it's not easy," she admitted with a frown. "They've got tools that can fight against our magic."

"Which is why you've got the Four Elements crystals," Cisco guessed, and she nodded her head.

"I'm hoping with the elements on our side, we'll be able to stop the hunters in their tracks. I just have to learn how to master them," she replied, and Hartley made a hum of approval.

"I don't want to know what you had to say to get Dr. Sigh to agree to giving you those, but if the witches have them, and not the hunters, it can only be a good thing," he said, and Caitlin smiled slightly.

"It's the best thing," she agreed.

"Do the other sisters in your coven know you have them?" Hartley asked curiously, and Caitlin nodded.

"Yes, we don't have secrets," she replied instantly.

"Even if it comes down to the outcome of the magical realm resting on your shoulders?" Cisco asked, and Caitlin shrugged.

"I've been sisters with these women for five years now. After Agatha died, they came to me, looking for answers. It was up to me to provide them. Like I said, we don't have secrets from each other. They trust me to take care of everyone, and I trust them to let me do that," she replied.

Barry cleared his throat. "I've met her coven; they're good people."

Cisco nodded his head at that admission, seemingly accepting it for what it was; he didn't raise anymore objections. The four of them fell silent then, as Caitlin flipped through her book. She landed on a spell she had wanted to try out and found now to be the perfect time. Running her eyes down the page, finger trailing the words, she murmured the incantation underneath her breath. A soft light began to glow around her, and she heard Cisco whistle softly. Barry was staring at her, and Hartley was looking at the book. She didn't pay them any mind.

As the light grew, so did Caitlin's heartbeat. She knew if she wasn't careful, and pushed herself too hard, the magic would fight back. Not wishing to deal with the outcome of that, she simply focused at keeping her energy calm. The wind picked up outside; the trees whispering against the confinement of her home. Barry cleared his throat.

"Remember to take it easy, Cait," he encouraged gently, and she nodded her head once, never taking her eyes off her spell book. The light grew, circling around them. It was as if it was elastic rubber band, stretching around them; wrapping everyone in sight.

By the time the light dimmed, Caitlin felt drained, but didn't show it.

"What's that spell?" Cisco asked curiously, and Caitlin blinked, looking up at him.

"It's called a protection ring," she murmured. "Agatha marked this as one of her go to spells; I've wanted to learn it for a while."

Barry pulled a water bottle out of his bag, tapping her on the wrist as he did so.

"Drink some, please," he instructed, and she accepted the water, taking a sip.

Neither of them bothered to mention the fact that she often wore herself out with her magic; Cisco and Hartley didn't need to know the intricacies of her spell work.

"Can you protect anyone who's near you?" Hartley asked curiously, and Caitlin nodded.

"If I'm concentrating completely on it and they're within fifty feet of me," she replied, taking another sip of water. She knew Barry would want her to finish the whole bottle; he always did whenever her magic tired herself out.

"Cool," Cisco murmured, Hartley following his sentiments with some of his own.

She smiled slightly.

"Thanks," she said. They didn't say anything for a few moments, and Caitlin felt her heart rate return to normal, something she was inexplicably grateful for. She knew that if she wasn't careful, her magic could and would do far worse damage to her than a racing heart. She didn't want to wait around for that day, so knew she needed to take it easy whenever she could. Problem was, she didn't think she was going to be granted the luxury of having a lot of peaceful days. It just wasn't simply possible; not with her responsibility to her coven, and the magical world in general.

When she finished the bottle of water, Caitlin disposed of it, before going to sit back down on her cot. She was tired; she felt the exhaustion in her bones. However, now was not the time to grow exhausted; not when there was work, to be done. She looked at her spell book, getting ready to try the spell again, but Barry stilled her with a gentle hand to her wrist.

"Maybe take a breather for a bit?" Barry asked quietly, and she thought about it. She didn't necessarily have to practice the spell at this moment. She nodded her head.

"I'll work on it again tomorrow," she murmured, shutting the book with care. Barry smiled appreciatively.

"Thank you," he said softly. She still wasn't sure why he had this strong desire to protect her; they barely knew each other. Well, she barely knew him. He, knew her a bit better, having been designated her protector years before they met. She wondered if all vampires were told who they were going to protect prior before meeting them. She didn't think so, considering Cisco was originally supposed to be her other protector; she wondered if Barry was special.

The four of them fell into light conversation then, never straying to the responsibility Caitlin had to her people, and she was grateful. While it was one thing to think about the responsibility she faced, it was a whole other thing to openly talk about it. If she was being honest with herself, she was scared about letting her fellow witches and wizards down. She knew they were relying on her as Agatha's granddaughter. They had all relied on Agatha at one point, and when Agatha simply couldn't go on anymore, they turned to the next best person: Caitlin. She had shouldered that responsibility for five years. So, yes, she was carrying the weight of her kind on her shoulders. She knew they expected her to help them survive. She expected that of herself. She also expected herself to not get tired as often as she did. Something she'd have to work harder at.

By the time it was just Barry and Caitlin again, Caitlin had grown exceptionally tired.

"I don't think you should do anymore magic tonight, Cait," he murmured, and Caitlin nodded her head.

"I don't think I could, even if I wanted to, I'm so tired," she replied through a yawn. He stood up.

"Get some rest, Cait," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She nodded her head. "I'll see you tomorrow."

After he left, she placed the usual enchantments around her home, and laid down on her cot. She fell asleep in the clothes she was wearing, too tired to even change.

Author's note: Enjoy XOXO


	7. Chapter 7

Caitlin flipped through the pages of her grandmother's book carefully, searching for the spell that she wished to learn. She was still trying to learn the element spell, but each time she did, it left her exhausted. She knew that magic would come with a price; she wasn't ready to pay it yet. Caitlin also knew she needed to be careful. The witch hunters were getting antsy; they were looking for witches to take down. Luckily, no one in her coven had been attacked yet, but it was just a matter of time. She wanted to know how to protect them at all cost.

Barry had been trying to give her tips, as well, no matter how misinformed he was. Barry. What an interesting soul. He had taken to staying with her all the time, no matter how much she adamantly protested the idea. She had finally put her foot down the day before, stating that if he tried to use the excuse of protecting her own more time, she would curse him. He amended his statement after that, stating that it was just nice to be able to hang out with a witch who knew what she was doing. That was a better reason for him to spend all his time shadowing her, and she left it alone after that.

Caitlin ran her charcoal rock down her piece of paper she had, rubbing it in smooth, circular motions. She was trying to draw out the element spell, something Agatha had taught her when she was thirteen. Agatha had said that by drawing out the spell, the powers behind it intensified. She was also acutely aware of the fact that she was exhausting herself with her magic. Something that she neglected to mention to Barry whenever he was around. She did not need him trying to protect her from that, too. It was bad enough that he had already taken it upon himself to be her protector.

As Caitlin ran the charcoal all over the paper, she idly wondered how Cisco and Hartley were getting along. She wondered if Cisco was as adamant about protecting him as Barry was about her. She snorted. Probably not. Barry just seemed to be one of those people who had the fiery passion to protect anybody who came into their life. Caitlin sighed as she realized she was the unfortunate one who had crossed into his path. Although, that had been a predetermined decision by him and his father. She really had no say in the matter whatsoever.

Sighing, Caitlin stopped shading in the paper, pausing and lifting her charcoal rock away from it. Her fingertips were smudged black, and she was sweaty. Rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand, she looked down at her spell book, then her piece of paper. According to the book, the paper should be glowing a bit and, much to her satisfaction, she noted that it was. She went and retrieved her bowl of water, bringing it back to where her supplies were. She dipped her fingers into the warm water, letting it wash off any remains of the charcoal. What she had been aiming for with the charcoal was to draw out a map of sorts. The spell she was utilizing was like a compass rose; it helped her navigate where the hunters were. That was another good thing about having the element crystals in her possession; they acted as a guide for her.

Caitlin had a feeling Dr. Sigh would be proud of the progress she had made with the element crystals; Agatha, too. Thinking about her grams left a dull ache in her heart. Five years later, and she still missed the wisdom the older woman possessed.

"Miss, you, grams," Caitlin whispered. The wind picked up outside, and she listened to the leaves rustling. It was as if her grandmother was whispering back to her. She knew that she probably was. Caitlin went about getting the four crystals into a circle then, before flipping to the page that outlined how to utilize the crystals in an attack against witches. She knew she needed to learn that spell, for the sake of her coven and people in general.

She ran her finger down the page, looking at each incantation as she came across it. She picked up the earth crystal.

"With the earth, I vow to protect thy people," she murmured, running her hand over the crystal. It started glowing, and she smiled. Perfect. She placed that to the side and picked up the wind crystal.

"With the wind, I vow to protect thy people," she repeated the incantation, running her fingers over the crystal. She repeated this process for all four crystals, watching the glow steadily growing. She was making a vow to protect her grandmother's people; her sisters of the moon coven. Which, admittedly, was now Caitlin's coven, so she was making a vow to protect her people, as well. By the time all four crystals had been utilized in the spell, Caitlin had watched the glowing shift to all around her, lighting up her entire treehouse.

She felt adrenalin pumping through her, a tell-tale sign that she was over working herself, but she didn't stop. She just continued repeating the incantation four more times, the way the spell book indicated she should. She felt her hands shaking and smiled slightly. The powers were working. A warm, glowing ball of light started projecting from the center of her hands; she felt it radiating a gentle heat into the pads of her fingers. Soon enough, the ball had smoothly transitioned from the middle of her hands, and floated to the middle of her treehouse, lighting up her home in ethereal like glow.

Jus then, there was a knock on the door of the tree house, and Caitlin felt the warmth in her recede, taking the light with. She blinked, her nerves tingling. Shaking out her arms, she stood up, making her way over to the door. After a quick glance through the peephole, she sighed, opening it.

"You literally have the worst timing possible, you know," she muttered to Barry, who just grinned.

"That's what I'm here for," he replied in a sing song voice, grating on her nerves. She stepped back, granting him permission.

"What do I owe for this visit?" Caitlin asked, folding her arms across her chest after she shut her door.

"Just wanted to see how you were coming along with the elemental spell?" Barry checked, and Caitlin sighed.

"I was coming a long great, until you knocked on my door. Then the magic managed to disappear," she replied, hoping she wasn't coming off half as annoyed as she felt. Barry had the decency to look guilty.

"Oops," he mouthed, looking down. Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"It's fine," she murmured, squeezing his shoulder briefly as she walked passed him. He was her protector after all; she should try and be a little nicer to him. She picked up her grandmother's spell book and slipped it back into her bag. Then, put up her charcoal.

"What was the charcoal for?" Barry inquired, and she shrugged a nonchalant shoulder.

"Just something the spell required," she replied vaguely. No need to tell him she had almost completed the elemental spell before he came along; didn't want to kick the guy when he was already down. She tied her hair up into a messy ponytail, holding her wand between her teeth. She shrugged off her sweater and released her wand from its place in her teeth, before looking at him.

"Not that it isn't nice to see my protector," she began, "but is there a particular reason you came by?"

Barry nodded his head. "Yes. Cisco reached out to me earlier because of something that happened to Hartley."

"What happened to Hartley?" Caitlin demanded, not comfortable with knowing that one of her kind could potentially be in danger. Well, Caitlin amended, more danger than they all were already in.

"He was followed by a hunter," Barry muttered, and Caitlin's jaw flexed.

"Do they have no shame? First, it was ambushing me in the daylight. Now, it's following another wizard during the daylight?" Caitlin hissed, and Barry frowned in sympathy.

"They're getting bold," he said.

"No, they're getting reckless," Caitlin stated matter-of-factly. "They're trying to draw us all out, no longer finding the need to wait for nightfall."

"Why would waiting until nightfall be beneficial for them?" Barry asked, and Caitlin resisted the temptation to roll her eyes.

"Night is when we're the most powerful," she reminded him.

"Right. And wouldn't it make more sense for a witch hunter to attack when a witch was vulnerable?" Barry asked, confusion strong in his tone. Caitlin shook her head.

"Not necessarily. Imaging the kind of power, a witch hunter could gain if they took out a witch who was in her element? Now, imagine a skilled witch hunter attaining that type of power," she said.

Barry sighed deeply. "Sounds terrifying, when put that way."

Caitlin chuckled dryly. "Exactly."

She pocketed her wand and headed to the door of her treehouse, ushering Barry along with her.

"Where are we going?" Barry asked, and she chanced a glance at him over her shoulder.

"To talk to Hartley. See if he knows the witch hunter who followed him," she replied, before smoothly descending the ladder. Once Barry was on the ground next to her, she locked the treehouse with its usual enchantments, and they were on their way.

XXXX

"His name is Jeremiah," Hartley stated about half an hour later. Caitlin was looking him over, making sure he had sustained no injuries. No witch or wizard was going to get hurt, not if she could help it.

"Do you know his last name?" Caitlin asked, nodding her head once she was through with her examination. Hartley looked like he would rather not answer. She just raised an eyebrow at him, encouraging him to divulge the information.

"Carmichael," he finally muttered, and Caitlin felt the ground slip beneath her.

"Carmichael?" Caitlin asked incredulously, and Hartley winced.

"Now you know why I didn't want to tell you," he said. Barry looked back and forth between them.

"What's wrong, besides the obvious, about a witch hunter with the surname Carmichael?" Barry asked.

Caitlin thought over her answer. "Because, the Carmichaels are the oldest family of hunters our kind has ever seen. If they find you, a war breaks out. The number of casualties is insurmountable."

"And, one found me today. War was just started," Hartley added glumly.

Caitlin bit her lip. War had been started indeed.


	8. Chapter 8

Caitlin spent the next several days looking into Jeremiah Carmichael and his family. She read all the old books about the witch hunters, immersing herself more so in the books that the Carmichaels' were in. Turns out, the family lineage started with his great, great grandmother, marrying Alec Carmichael. Alec, without a doubt, was one of the foulest hunters Caitlin had come across in her readings. He was the first one in his family to go on to be a hunter, and Caitlin wondered where the initiative that he took to become one came from.

As she focused on Alec Carmichael, she studied his father and grandfather. They hadn't been witch hunters; hadn't raised Alec to be one, either. Alec had moved out of his home at the age of eighteen and cut all ties with his family. Caitlin wondered what on earth had happened to make him do that. Caitlin couldn't imagine cutting ties with her grandmother, had she still been alive. She supposed her parents had cut ties with her when they left all those years ago, but she still wasn't sure what their reasoning had been. Agatha had said she'd understand when she was older; well, she was older, and she still didn't have a clue how to begin to understand her parents not wanting her.

Sighing, she returned her attention back to the frail pages of the book she was reading, skimming the words, hoping for something to jump out at her. She came across a passage and paused, reading intently.

Alec Carmichael, while apart of a good, wholesome family, changed the path he took. He was raised in family who believed in the unity of witches and people without powers. However, when he turned of age, he distanced himself from his family and their beliefs, choosing to go down his own path. That path proved to be one of darkness and hatred towards the witches of his time. What had caused him to hate them remains unknown…

Caitlin read the last sentence again, tracing her fingers over the words, "remains unknown". What had happened to cause Alec Carmichael to go against his family's wishes? What had caused him to hunt the witches? She didn't have the answer; wasn't sure if she'd ever get the answer. Sighing, she shut the old book gently, and tucked it back onto her shelf. She wasn't any closer to solving the answer than she was two hours prior. Not for the first time, Caitlin wished her grandmother was still with her. She'd know what to do; would have the answers.

Glancing at her watch, she made her way to the door of her house. She had promised to meet up with Hartley and Cisco, check over how Hartley was recovering from the attack. Stepping out of her home, she locked her door, ensuring the spells were still intact that protected her and her home. Then, with a quick sweep of the forest with her eyes, Caitlin climbed down to the ground. She pulled the hood of her cloak up over her head, hiding her face from any prying eyes of the forest. She used to never fear the place she called home; however, since the hunters were getting restless and sloppy with the risks they were taking, Caitlin felt it was safer if she hid herself as best she could.

As she made her way through the woods, soil kissing her bare feet, she kept her eyes peeled. Any movement caused her fingers to wrap tightly around her wand. She knew she shouldn't be wandering the woods at dusk by herself, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She had a mission, and that was to get to Hartley and Cisco; make sure Hartley was okay. As a wizard, she knew he was equally as worried as she was about the hunters. Her feet carried her forward as she listened to every sound the woods cried and echoed around her. Twigs snapping, and she was glancing around in a rush. Only to spot a rabbit hopping away in a panicked frenzy.

Eventually, she reached Hartley's home. A knock on the door and a quick flash of her wrist tattoo, and Hartley was opening the door.

"Hello, sister of the moon," he said, granting her access into his house. She heard chatter coming from a room off to the side and tilted her head towards it.

"Cisco and Barry?" Caitlin asked, and Hartley nodded. She lowered her hood and followed him into the room that was to the left of her. As she entered, she spotted Barry and Cisco huddled together, talking quietly.

"Hey," she said, catching their attention. Barry looked up at her, noting her in surprise.

"Caitlin, what are you doing here?" Barry asked, standing up and walking towards her.

"I promised to come and check on Hartley," she replied. Barry glanced at his watch.

"Tell me you didn't walk the woods by yourself this late," he implored.

"Don't ask me questions you don't want the answers to," she warned him, before shrugging out of her cloak. She looked at Cisco, who was studying Hartley.

"Everything alright, Cisco?" Caitlin asked, and he sighed.

"Not really. Hartley received a warning today," he muttered, and Caitlin's brow furrowed in confusion. She looked at Cisco for a moment longer before redirecting her attention to Hartley.

"What kind of warning?" Caitlin demanded. She watched as he made his way to a dark, wooden box, no bigger than a jewelry box, and opened it. He pulled a piece of paper out of it and handed it to Caitlin. Looking at the three guys once more, she looked down at the note, taking in what it said.

"Where did you get this?" Caitlin asked lowly. Hartley shrugged.

"It was on my doormat when Cisco got here. He brought it in, asking if anybody had come by today," he replied. Caitlin rubbed a weary hand over her shoulder, looking at the note again.

"We're here, we're not going anywhere. We're here, we're not going anywhere," Caitlin read the two sentences out loud. She looked around for a signature or clue that she could utilize that would help her figure out who sent it.

"No signature," she muttered, and Hartley nodded.

"Yeah, we didn't find anything else with it," he replied. Caitlin bit her lip, thinking hard.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do: Cisco, you're going to stay with Hartley since this is the second time he's been targeted. I'm going back to my home and will try a reverse spell. See if I can find out the first person who touched this letter," she said strongly. Cisco nodded.

"I wasn't planning on going anywhere," he said with conviction, squeezing Hartley's hand. It was then that Caitlin noticed their fingers were interlocked. Smiling slightly, she nodded her head.

"Alright," she murmured. She checked Hartley over quickly, noting that nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. She slipped her cloak back on, pulling her hood up.

"I'm leaving, keep the spells and enchantments around your house," she advised. Barry slipped into his jacket as well.

"I'm going back with you," Barry said, and she looked at him.

"I'd much rather you stay with Hartley and Cisco," she said, but he shook his head.

"Cisco is Hartley's protector; I'm yours'," he insisted, and she sighed. This protector situation was getting on her last nerve. She rolled her eyes.

"Keep up with me," she muttered. She gave Hartley one last once over, before leaving. As her and Barry walked away from his house, she felt the magic branching out and wrapping around his home. Smiling slightly, she hurried her way across the woods, making her way back to her home. Barry and she didn't exchanged words as they walked; she was too busy thinking about the note Hartley received. Who sent it was the main question on her mind. Was it Jeremiah, Alec's great, great grandson? Was he following in Alec's footsteps? Caitlin wasn't sure, wasn't sure of anything. She didn't know what to expect from Jeremiah. Was he as hateful towards the witches as Alec was? She simply didn't have the answers to the many questions circling her brain.

Once she reached the outskirts of her home, she slowed down her steps considerably, looking around.

"Someone's been here," she murmured, drawing her wand out of her cloak. She looked at her home: the charms were broken.

"They know how to counteract ancient magic," she muttered, and began to make her way to her treehouse. Barry walked closely behind her.

"Be careful, Caitlin," he said quietly, and she rolled her eyes.

"Always am," she replied. She climbed up her ladder quietly and opened her door slowly.

Her jaw fell open.

"My entire home as been turned upside down," she uttered, looking at her demolished home. Her eyes traveled from the books that were strewn across her floor, to her bed that had been torn apart. Sighing, she rushed to where the place her element crystals where.

"Whoever it was, they were looking for something," Barry said slowly.

"Well, they didn't find it. Nothing is missing; not even the crystals," Caitlin said lowly, heart beating rapidly. The last thing she needed were for the hunters to have the crystals.

"Question is: who was here and what were they looking for that they couldn't find?" Barry asked.

Caitlin bit her lip. "I don't know. I really don't know."

Author's note: Enjoy Xxx


	9. Chapter 9

Caitlin and Barry stood shoulder to shoulder as they surveyed the damage inflicted upon her treehouse. It could've been worse. Those words were on a repetitive loop in Caitlin's head, helping to anchor her. The four element crystals hadn't been stolen and that was more profoundly relieving than anything else to her in that moment. As she and Barry stood side by side, she thought through the kind of magic she'd have to do to restore her home.

"You're not going to be pleased," she murmured, and Barry turned and looked at her.

"I'm already not pleased," he replied, eyebrow quirked. She rolled her eyes in response.

"Alright, less pleased, then," she muttered. Shoving his hands inside of his pockets, the vampire looked at her inquisitively.

"And, why's that?" Barry asked slowly, and Caitlin sighed.

"Because," she muttered, "it's going to take a lot of magic to restore my home."

She didn't have to look at him to know that he was floored. She could simply sense it. Sighing again, she squared her shoulders and raised her wand. It was now or never. Flicking her wrist, she concentrated all of her energy on rebuilding her once perfect home. Her bed flipped back to it's original state; the many books that had been torn from the shelves slotted themselves back into their rightful place without any protest; her herbs, sage, and spice bottles all mended themselves, the shattered glass piecing itself back together. By the time she was through, Caitlin's hands were shaking. She placed her wand inside of her cloak before tucking her hands into her ribcage.

"You should get some rest, Caitlin," Barry said, but she raised her chin a fraction of an inch, shaking her head defiantly.

"I'll only rest once whoever is responsible on the attacks against my people is brought to justice," she replied firmly, and he sighed.

"Is there any point in telling you to at least drop your vendetta for tonight?" Barry asked, but Caitlin merely narrowed her eyes. "Thought so."

Caitlin fingered her sisters of the moon tattoo unconsciously, thinking furiously. Someone had been inside of her home, looking for something. They had broken past her protective enchantments, meaning they were a far more skilled witch hunter than she had originally given them credit for. Was it Jeremiah Carmichael? Could he have been the one who raided her home? An involuntary shudder rippled through her and she was pleased Barry was still surveying her home; he hadn't noticed.

Thinking for a moment longer, Caitlin pulled her spell book out of her bag, immensely grateful for always having the foresight to carry it with her wherever she went. Flipping open the book, she began to thumb through the worn pages with care, looking for a spell that she should know by memory.

"What are you looking for?" Barry asked.

"Remember that shield spell I did?" Caitlin replied absentmindedly, and he hummed his affirmative.

"It's like that, but for homes. Not just people," she muttered, still looking through the fragile pages. At last, she found what she was looking for and her eyes scanned down the list.

"God," she groaned, shutting her eyes for a moment.

"What?" Barry asked worriedly. When she didn't reply, he became persistent. "Caitlin, what is it?"

"This spell is seriously complicated," she murmured, opening her eyes and looking down at it again. She couldn't bear to look at him because she knew she'd see the disapproval rolling off him in waves. She didn't need to deal with that at the moment – not when she had so many other decisions to factor in.

"Then, is it really worth it?" Barry asked.

"Yes, Barry, it's really worth it," she replied with conviction. "As my 'protector', do you seriously won't my home to be open to the potential of more attacks?"

He sighed in frustration. "You know, this job would've been a lot easier if I realized how stubborn you were going to be a long time ago."

Caitlin couldn't help it as a laugh bubbled up to the surface and broke free. "Sorry."

Barry tried to frown in disapproval but Caitlin saw the small smile tugging at his lips at it's own volition.

"Alright. Do whatever you have to. Just, be careful," he advised, and she nodded. She raised her hands, focusing on summoning the energy it would take to require for the shield to be projected outwards and around her home. She felt her pulse throbbing through her veins, a tell-tale sign that she was working overtime. As she concentrated, images filled her mind. Cisco and Hartley; Sisters of the Moon Coven; Barry. All these people she shouldered a responsibility to. Agatha would've been proud at how gracefully she was carrying herself.

Caitlin could feel a tingling running up and down her arms, leaving her lightheaded. She pushed through, though, determined to see this spell through. By the time she was finished, her energy was depleted and she swayed on the spot.

"Caitlin!" Barry exclaimed, throwing out a hand to help steady her.

"Get me to my bed," she muttered, and he wrapped his arm around her waist, helping to guide her to the bed. After easing herself down onto it, she laid on her back, tucking herself under the covers.

"I told you. I told you: don't do that spell," Barry chastised, and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"And, I told you that, while complicated, it had to be done," she snapped. She felt like she was floundering; like something was trying to pull her under the water and she was fighting to keep her head afloat. It was working but only just. Black pinpricks popped along her vision, making her blink her eyes rapidly.

"Stay awake, alright?" Barry asked, voice too far away to be next to her. It sounded like it was coming from the end of a long tunnel. Despite his wishes, Caitlin blinked one last time before promptly succumbing to the dark abyss.

XXX

By the time Caitlin came to, it was the middle of the night, if the position the moon was in the sky was any indicator. Her throat felt dry; parched. Glancing around, she spotted Barry sitting close to her bed, staring at her.

"You're awake," he murmured, sighing in relief. She nodded her head.

"How long was I out for?" Caitlin asked hoarsely.

"A few hours," he muttered, standing up. He walked to his bag and grabbed a water bottle. (He seemed to have an endless supply). Handing it to her, Caitlin uncapped it and drank greedily. The water felt good against her dry throat, helping to ease some of the roughness.

"I think the spell worked," Barry said after a moment of silence, and Caitlin listened intently to the sounds emanating inside and outside of her home. She nodded her head a moment later, satisfied.

"You're right," she said quietly. "I can't hear anything but us."

Barry looked at her. "You can hear the sounds?"

"I have the Sight and the Senses," she replied, sitting up in the bed. Her back was stiff from having been in the same position for the last few hours; she needed to rotate.

"Are you the only one in your Coven to have it?" Barry asked curiously, and she hummed.

"Yes. That's part of the reason they chose me as their leader," she stated. "That, and I'm Agatha's granddaughter."

"And, the fact that you fight tooth and nail to protect the people you care about," Barry added, and she smiled slightly.

"That too," she murmured.

They fell silent then and Caitlin listened to the stillness of the night. Normally, she was her most powerful during these hours but her last brush with magic had left her feeling vulnerable. She knew it'd be a couple of days before she was up to her usual standard of magic. Sighing, she tucked her hair behind her ears.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, and Barry looked at her, encouraging her to continue.

"I know I said that when I push magic, it pushes back. However, even I must admit I pushed too hard this time, and for that, I'm sorry," she said in a small voice. Barry squeezed her should comfortingly.

"Just – take care of yourself alright? I'm doing the best I can on my part, but I need you to help me out, too," he murmured, and she nodded.

Barry stared at her for a long moment and she felt something shift between them. Wondering what it was, she watched as he inched towards her hesitantly, keeping his eyes locked on her the whole time. When he pressed his lips onto hers' gently, she first stiffened, then melted into the kiss. He tasted like wood and pine; the forest. She wondered if it was because he was always around her. When they pulled apart a moment later, he brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth, her nose, her cheekbone, finally ending at her forehead.

"Get some sleep alright?" Barry asked quietly. "I'll be here when you wake up."

Too tired to fight the pull any longer, Caitlin merely nodded, before falling back asleep, anxieties far from mind for the first time in weeks.


	10. Chapter 10

The next night brought a group meeting with the Sisters of the Moon coven. Caitlin had gathered all of the sisters in order to update them on the progress she had made with the four elements crystals, not to mention the fact that her home had been demolished. She needed her sisters to be on their guard – she couldn't have anyone in her coven hurt. She wouldn't allow it.

The first to arrive was Amethyst, followed by Natalia, then Penelope, Jenny, and finally, Miranda. After Miranda had sealed the door to Caitlin's treehouse, Caitlin wasted no time in calling the meeting to order.

"Sisters," she greeted them.

"Sister Caitlin," they murmured back, and she looked at Barry, who nodded.

"You ladies need to know that I did not make this choice lightly, but after the attack on my fellow wizard, Hartley, and home, I have decided that it is no longer safe for us to meet. So after this last meeting, all other meetings will cease to exist until I deem otherwise," she said matter-of-fact. While there were some disgruntled expressions, the women accepted Caitlin's news without question. All except one.

"Do you think that's wise, Sister Caitlin?" Miranda challenged, and Caitlin looked at her in exasperation. She had been expecting Miranda to voice her opinion the moment Caitlin dropped the truth on her sisters.

"Sister Miranda, there's no other possibility. Believe me, I've looked. I can't protect all of you while trying to protect our kind in general and the hunters are getting bold. Attacking without shame. Who's to say one of them wouldn't try attacking one of you?" Caitlin inquired, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"Besides, Sister Miranda, one of them has already attacked one of us, or did you forget the miniscule detail of them ambushing Sister Caitlin in broad daylight?" Jenny queried.

"Must've slipped my mind," Miranda murmured, eyes never straying from Caitlin's face. For her part, Caitlin kept her face impassive.

"Happens to the best of us," she replied nonchalantly.

Miranda narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything else on the matter. Caitlin always had the suspicion that Miranda was the least supportive about her becoming the leader after Agatha's passing. She never voiced it, of course, but Caitlin had a hunch that Miranda thought she herself would be a better fit for head witch. She certainly didn't make her life easier by any means. Biting back a sigh, Caitlin pushed forward.

"With that order of business out of the way, onto the next: the four elements crystals," Caitlin carried on. There was a collective gasp around the room.

"We knew Dr. Sigh gave them to you," Jenny began in a hushed voice, "but have you made any progress with them?"

Caitlin smiled a self-satisfied grin. "I have. It's not much, but it is enough to be getting on with for the time being."

"Sister Caitlin is the only one capable of producing the results our kind are looking for," Natalia spoke up, and Caitlin smiled gently.

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, Sister Natalia, but we all know the Sisters work in tandem with one another to protect our kind," Caitlin contradicted softly. Out of the six sisters, Natalia was the newest, only fresh off eighteen. Her mother had been killed by a witch hunter and the very next day, she showed up at Caitlin's treehouse, seeking permission to join the coven. Sympathetic towards her situation, the women let her join after proving her loyalty. To this day she remained a valuable asset to the coven.

"Sister Penelope, how are we coming along with the other vampires?" Caitlin asked, looking at the vivacious redhead. Penelope moistened her top lip with her tongue, thinking carefully about her answer, so Caitlin waited patiently.

"They seem to be very willing, and eager, I'd say, to do their jobs," she replied finally.

"And, that's to protect the witches and wizards, right?" Amethyst interjected, and Barry cleared his throat.

"Yes, essentially that's what we want to do."

"You're Sister Caitlin's protector," Jenny, a shy girl of twenty-one, piped up.

"That'd be correct," Barry affirmed, and Caitlin resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. While their shared moment was nice and comforting, it still didn't deflect from the fact that she was being babysat. She was a grown woman. She ran a coven. She knew how to protect herself and if it wasn't for the fact that she was slightly enamored by him, she'd have told him to get lost a long time ago. Plus, he knew a little of Agatha and she selfishly wanted to know more about her grandmother. Craved to soak up whatever information she could about the long-gone woman.

It was hard enough to know that Caitlin had parents out in the world somewhere, (that was, if the hunters hadn't gotten to them first), that didn't want her. Agatha was her last link to personal family. The coven was her only family now, with the startingly apparent exception of Miranda. But, she digressed.

Caitlin shifted from where she was seated in the circle, stretching up to her knees to grab her spell book off her bedside table. Once she had the worn book in her hands, she gently shifted through the fragile pages with such a tenderness she wondered if maybe she still did carry a part of Agatha with her. Once she found what she was looking for, she laid the book down in the middle of the circle, beckoning her sisters closer.

"Do you see this spell, Sisters?" Caitlin asked.

"What is it?" Penelope replied.

Before she had a chance to respond, Miranda interjected. "It's obvious, isn't it? It's an Elimination spell."

"And, we're going to use the Elimination spell on…." Jenny trailed off, looking at Caitlin for clarification.

"The Hunters. With the crystals in our possession and the Elimination spell up our sleeves, they won't stand a chance," she replied. Grinning faces stared back at her.

"But," Caitlin warned, "it'll take all of us to get the spell done right. I want to us to practice it as many times as we can for as many weeks as possible, until they start showing up by the dozens."

She flickered her eyes around the group, landing on Miranda's impassive face momentarily; the candlelight made it elongated, but she remained as cool as ever.

"Is that all?" Miranda asked crisply. Caitlin looked around the group once more.

"Any questions? No? Good. Meeting adjourned."

And, she blew out the candle, signaling the ending of another night with her coven. What would come would come. All they had to do was be prepared for it.

Author's note: Two chapters in one day because I forgot how much fun I had writing this story way back when I started it last year. Hope you enjoy. And, hope you enjoyed finally getting to meet the coven. Xxx


	11. Chapter 11

Caitlin fingered her wand lovingly, staring at the spell in front of her. To date, it would be the hardest spell she has tried. She knew that it would be tempting fate to try it and not expect it to deplete her magic and tire her out, but she had to try. She needed to know that her sisters and the rest of her people were safe. Eyes trailing down the page, she pushed aside her own worry about her wellbeing and began to practice the spell.

"Dark of thy night, I ask thee to protect," she murmured, eyes closed. She knew this was an incantation she should be practicing with the aid of her coven, at the least, but she couldn't bring herself to ask them for their help; not when they were already on edge, like her. Even though she knew that not all her sisters agreed with her choices, (Miranda, she thought), Caitlin knew at the end of the day they'd have her back because she was their leader and Agatha's granddaughter. That was enough to assuage any guilt she felt about not confiding in them about this particular part of her plan.

Caitlin could feel the warmth running in her veins, stretching from her shoulders all the way to the tips of her fingers, and knew the magic was encasing her. Smiling slightly, Caitlin kept repeating incantation until she had the gist of it, knowing that the more she practiced the spell, the better she'd be at it. When she felt like she had a strong enough understanding of the spell, she stopped her movements, letting her wand rest loosely in her grasp. Surveying her tree house, Caitlin was rather pleased to note that it didn't look like it had been demolished the week prior, thank you very much. Smiling slightly, Caitlin stretched her arms above her head, loosening her stiff muscles and sighing in satisfaction when they popped.

Just then, there was a knock at her door. Knowing by now who it'd be, Caitlin undid the usual protection and enchantments guarding her door before calling a soft, "come in", to the visitor. A moment later Barry appeared, appraising her.

"What if I had been a witch hunter?" Barry demanded seriously, arms folded. Caitlin shrugged.

"They wouldn't have knocked," she replied simply.

"Still," Barry muttered, rolling his eyes. Caitlin stifled a laugh. The last thing she needed was to make Barry worry more than he already did.

"Stop worrying so much, vampire boy. You'll go prematurely grey," she said, and he chuckled.

"There are worse things, I'm sure," he responded.

"That you think," she teased, and they laughed. Caitlin waited patiently for him to divulge why he had decided to stop by unannounced. He seemed to pick up on that.

"I'm just here to see if I can help with anything?" Barry asked, and Caitlin thought about it. Could he help with anything? Sighing, she shook her head a moment later.

"Not really," she murmured apologetically, knowing that he was eager to help. "I'm just practicing spell work."

He nodded but didn't say anything, leaving Caitlin to ponder her spells in silence. Just then, a thought came to her.

"Wait," she began slowly. "There is something you can help with."

Barry looked at her curiously, silently asking her to elaborate. She nodded.

"I need to go back to Dr. Sigh's and get more ingredients from her apothecary," she explained.

"What are the ingredients for?" Barry asked.

Caitlin bit her lip, thinking about what she needed. "I need to have something that'll help me utilize the four elements crystals. More than I'm already utilizing them."

"Are they not working?" Barry asked worriedly, and she sighed.

"Not as well as I need them to," she admitted, biting her lip again. "I need to see if Dr. Sigh has something, anything, that'll make them stronger."

"They're the four elements crystals; aren't they already as strong as they can be?" Barry asked hesitantly, but Caitlin shook her head.

"They can always be stronger," she said decisively. She knew that while a powerful witch herself, Dr. Sigh had to have something that would help her expand her magic. Also, she knew that if she did, Dr. Sigh would help her, knowing that Caitlin wouldn't want to expand her magic for selfish desires.

"Then, let's go," Barry encouraged. Caitlin nodded before tying her hair up into a topknot, then shrugging into her cloak.

"We'll have to be careful," she advised. "The woods are no longer safe; not even in the daylight."

Barry sighed but nodded, nonetheless.

"Alright," he acquiesced.

Five minutes later and Caitlin's feet were kissing the soil beneath them.

XXX

As they walked through the woods, Caitlin kept a diligent eye on her surroundings, wary of anything that may be out of place in the slightest. To his credit, Barry, too, was keeping an eye on the trees covering them. They didn't talk on the way to Dr. Sigh's home. Caitlin knew that, while once being her most trusted sanctuary, the woods had eyes and ears in them that didn't belong. The last thing she needed was to draw attention to them.

Eventually, the pair reached Dr. Sigh's home, and Caitlin knocked on the door, flashing her Sisters of the Moon tattoo once she saw an eye peeking through the crack in the door. It opened a moment later and Caitlin suddenly found herself face-to-face with the aging witch.

"Caitlin, dear," she said in her usual whispery voice, and Caitlin smiled.

"Hello, Dr. Sigh," she murmured, and Dr. Sigh held the door open wider.

"Come in, come in away from the cold," she instructed, and Caitlin walked in, Barry following in wordlessly behind her.

"How can I help you today, my dear?" Dr. Sigh asked, and Caitlin looked around the main room of her home-slash-apothecary, before directing her eyes back towards the older woman.

"I was wondering if you had anything that would help me make the four elements crystals stronger?" Caitlin asked without preamble, knowing now was not the time to skirt around the subject at hand. Dr. Sigh appraised her for an immeasurable amount of time, before moistening her top lip with the tip of her tongue.

"And, you wouldn't use it for personal gain?" Dr. Sigh asked, and Caitlin shook her head, horrified that she could even entertain that idea.

"Absolutely not," Caitlin said earnestly. "It would only be for enhancing their powers against the skillful hunters."

Dr. Sigh nodded. "Alright, dear. I have something that I think may help."

Caitlin watched her eagerly as Dr. Sigh made her way to her chest of drawers. She opened them, reaching into the very back, and dug out a smaller wooden box that was buried in the depths of the chest. Once she had retrieved the box, Dr. Sigh made her way back to Caitlin, holding the box out to her.

"Inside of this box are vials of liquid. They'll help with your quest to make the crystals stronger," Dr. Sigh stated. "Stronger than they already are."

Caitlin nodded. "How much?"

Dr. Sigh appraised her before replying. "Free of charge. I only ask for one thing in return, dear."

Caitlin looked at her curiously. "What's that?"

"Save our kind," Dr. Sigh instructed, and Caitlin nodded.

"I will," she promised, knowing she'd fight to see that promise through or die trying.

Caitlin and Barry stayed and chatted for a few more minutes before Dr. Sigh was leading them to the door.

"Protect yourself and our kind, child," Dr. Sigh instructed, placing a soft hand on Caitlin's shoulder. Caitlin saw Barry frowning out of the corner of her eye but didn't focus on it. She turned her attention back to the older woman and nodded.

"I will," she assured firmly, tone leaving no room for doubt. Dr. Sigh smiled.

"You best be on your way then, Sister of the Moon," Dr. Sigh said, eyes twinkling. Despite the heavy burden Caitlin felt resting on her shoulders, she managed to smile before dipping her head in acknowledgement and walking out of the door, Barry right behind her.

Once they were outside, Caitlin tucked the box that housed the vials safely inside her cloak, before fastening it and pulling the hood up over her head. She pulled out her wand and held it tightly in her grip, should she need it last minute.

As they walked, Barry was unusually quiet, something Caitlin was surprised to realize. Since she had met him and since they had kissed, he was almost always eager to speak to her or with her. She looked at him curiously.

"Crystal for your thoughts?" Caitlin asked quietly, feet moving through the rich earth. Barry sighed as he shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged.

"I don't know – don't you think everyone is putting too much pressure on you?" Barry asked, and Caitlin glanced at him before looking straight forward again.

"What do you mean?" Caitlin asked.

"I mean, everyone expects you to be the savior of your kind. Your coven, Dr. Sigh, hell, even Cisco and Hartley," Barry muttered.

"That's because I'm Agatha's granddaughter. Quite literally the only person able to defeat the hunters," Caitlin said simply. Barry opened his mouth, but whatever he wanted to say was drowned out by the sound of a twig snapping. Stopping abruptly, Caitlin murmured an incantation and lit up the path they were walking. Suddenly, her heart fell into her stomach as she realized what she was staring at. Hunters. Three of them. All laden down with crossbows.

Not bothering to keep her voice low, she looked at Barry.

"Run, Barry, run."

Author's note: Enjoy. Xxx


	12. Chapter 12

As Caitlin and Barry ran, Caitlin shot spell after spell over her shoulder, trying to catch the hunters off guard. She had to admit, they were even more equipped than she had originally given them credit for. She sent a hex at the one closest to Barry and sighed in relief when he collapsed to the ground, hands covering his face.

"Caitlin, we have to get to shelter. Now!" Barry called, breaths coming out in short puffs as his legs propelled him forward. He clearly wasn't adding cardio expertise to his resume any time soon. She nodded.

"I know, Barry," she said calmly, having much more control of her breathing than her counterpart. She sent one final, powerful spell over her shoulder that caused the ground to crackle with electricity. The hunters were caught off guard, the spell sending them flying. Caitlin seized a fistful of Barry's shirt and yanked him forward, hurtling to the one place she knew would keep them safe.

XXX

Once they reached her bunker, Caitlin immediately unlocked the invisibility charm that was sheathing the bunker and hurried Barry inside. When it was just her outside of the bunker, she took a quick, but thorough, look around, before ducking into the bunker as well. Placing the invisibility charm back around them, Caitlin looked at Barry.

"Are you alright?" Caitlin asked lowly.

"Are you?" Barry parroted her question back to her and she nodded.

"Yeah. It's just…I think I might have twisted my ankle while running," she said, sitting down on a cot she had placed in the bunker now that the adrenalin was wearing off. She looked at her ankle and noted it was twice it's normal size. Groaning, she looked at Barry who was staring at her ankle in concern.

"I can't believe you ran on that, Caitlin. What were you thinking?" Barry demanded, and Caitlin narrowed her eyes.

"I was thinking that I needed to get us out of that situation alive. We're both alive aren't we?" Caitlin snapped. Barry's shoulders drooped as he held his hands up in surrender.

"Alright. Just no more running, okay?" Barry asked, and she lost her defensive posture.

"I don't think I have much choice until some of the swelling goes down anyways. It looks like we're in the bunker for a couple of days at least," she muttered, not liking the idea very much. The bunker was for desperate times and she hated to admit that the hunters had pushed her into desperate times.

"What about your coven? Should we reach out to them?" Barry wondered, and Caitlin nodded, massaging her forehead as she thought. Her ankle was throbbing painfully and she was in desperate need for some painkillers to dull the ache. She looked up at Barry.

"I wont be able to reach my coven until we leave the bunker; I know they're smart enough to not go actively looking for me if I fall off the grid for a couple of days. They'll assume I'm here and that suffices for now. At the moment, my main concern is making sure we're protected," she said, and Barry looked at her.

"Didn't you already put up a protection?" Barry asked, and she chuckled humorlessly.

"Ah, if only it were that easy, my friend," she murmured. She stood up, gingerly placing some of her weight on her injured ankle. Hissing through her lips, Caitlin hobbled to the stairs that led to the exit of the bunker and pointed the door out to Barry.

"I put an invisibility shield around us so we're veiled from onlookers. However, there's more I need to do. Much more. It's just a simple matter of how to do it," she murmured, thinking furiously fast.

"What do you mean?" Barry asked, shuffling his way towards her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, helping her stay balanced – she smiled gratefully and continued talking.

"I mean, the spells and enchantments that are needed to outdo something as great as a invisibility shield are no easy accomplishment. It'll drain me for a bit and that's not something I'm really wanting to experience right now," she explained.

"Then don't do it," Barry said simply, and Caitlin cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Excuse me?" Caitlin asked, frowning.

"Don't do the magic required to -,"

"Required to protect us? Yeah, nice try but you're not talking me out of that. I just need a few minutes of uninterrupted silence to think how I want to do this," she said.

"But-,"

"Uninterrupted silence," she reiterated, shooting him a look. He snapped his mouth shut and stared at her abashedly. She almost grinned.

Alright Caitlin, think.

What did she have to do? That was easy: keep the hunters out of her magical realm. Luckily, she had taken to carrying the four crystals with her everywhere she went and had a spare spell book in the bunker. It wasn't as good as her original but it would do.

"Alright, Barry, I'm going outside to place the enchantments with the four elements. Will you be alright down here?" Caitlin asked.

"Caitlin," Barry began. "I really don't feel comfortable with you going outside by yourself."

She just stared at him until he started to rub the back of his neck nervously.

"But, then again, you're a powerful witch. Agatha's granddaughter. Leader of the Sisters of the Moon coven. What the hell do I know?" Barry laughed awkwardly. Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"Thanks, Edward Cullen," she replied dryly.

Not waiting another moment, she made her way back to land, wand tucked behind her ear. Once outside, she pulled the four crystals out of her pockets and set them on the ground.

With her wand, she started touching each crystal, one by one, and murmuring her incantation.

"With thy earth, I vow to protect thee," she murmured. The earth crystal glowed a bright blue and she felt the soil kiss her feet as she hummed.

On it went with the other three crystals. When she finally reached the wind crystal, she felt the trees come to life, whipping her hair around her face. When the final crystal was glowing, Caitlin tapped it with her wand, urging the light to go out lest someone from a paranormal realm should pass by. She wouldn't assume that they would, having no real reason to be on her earth in the first place, but one could never be too careful. If they did end up passing by, all they would see would be some trees. Some very active trees.

Caitlin hobbled her way back down into the bunker where Barry was waiting for her with a first-aid kit.

"Where did you find that?" Caitlin asked, quirking her eyebrow.

"Underneath one of the many cabinets in your bunker. Along with a note from Agatha," he murmured, popping open the lid of the kit. He patted the cot, indicating she should sit down, and she limped her way towards it and perched herself on the edge.

"Now, I'm just going to take a look at that ankle and get it wrapped, alright?" Barry asked, and she nodded.

"Alright," she acquiesced. Now that she had accomplished what she needed to accomplish, she could afford to be gracious enough to placate him.

Barry held her ankle tenderly in his hands, turning it from side to side to try and determine the pain level. When it shifted a fraction of an inch too much to the left, Caitlin hissed.

"Alright, easy," he murmured. "Let me wrap it. Then, I also found some Tylenol and we'll have you take those. Then, I want you to sleep."

"You're very bossy, did you know?" Caitlin asked, and he chuckled.

"One of my many charms, I assure you," he replied, and she shook her head with an eyeroll.

After getting her ankle wrapped, there wasn't much more to do but wait for the calm before the storm.

So, wait they did.

Author's note: Enjoy! Xxx


End file.
